Dragon Orchid
The Dragon Orchid, or Draeophel as known by the Tree Elves, are an extremely large species of carnivorous plant native to Zeyr. Physiology and Life Cycle The physical appearence of this wonderous, yet ferocious beast, differs throughout its five stage life cycle. Seed The Dragon Orchid seed is quite large, usually around the size of a Human skull. The surface of the seed is very hard and glossy, however the inside is just like other seeds; however, the Dragon Orchid roots which sprout from the seed are barbed with a unique material known as Dragon Thorn that shatters through the coating like glass. The surface gloss, named Dragon Glass, has been harvested before, although the process is very time consuming and can take years to cut a perfect piece. Before Bloom Before the bloom of the beast, the Dragon Orchid attaches itself to the earth with a foot-long, barbed root. This root branches out, absorbing nutrients required for blooming. In this phase, only a small hole where the tap root has bursted through penetrates the seed. At the end of this phase, the tap root pushes the seed out from underground, releasing a large stem. Small, pink pods form along the sprout and a green bulb grows at the top. During Bloom During the "blooming" phase, the bulb at the peak of the sprout opens, revealing a mouth. The Dragon Orchid is no longer dependent on its roots, who have continued to grow, and now feasts on small birds or insects. Over time, smaller sprouts will grow from the stem and also form bulbs, which will open to mouthes. The pink seeds continue to grow and eventually reach the maximum size. The seeds are now reading to be dispersed. After Bloom After bloom, the Dragon Orchid retracts its roots, who will later serve as a mean of transportation in the final stage of its life. The mouth begins to develop teeth with made from Dragon Thorn. The stem and smaller sprouts also grow these barbs along their sides. Death Just before the Dragon Orchid reaches the end of its life and its seeds are fully developed, the Dragon Orchid encounters an extremely rapid growth. The Dragon Orchid grows independent from the earth beneath it, using vines to attach itself to its surroundings for locomotion. The rapid growth in the orchid causes the beast to enter a rage where it will literally kill any moving thing in sight with its barbed vines, Dragon Thorn teeth, or its massive, 50 foot pinchers. The sole purpose of the orchids life is to plant each of its ten to twenty seeds. The Dragon Orchid will not naturally die until this purpose is achieved. Life Span The Dragon Orchid lives a quite long life, each living up to two hundred years. However, if in the correct conditions, it may live up to two hundred and fifty years of age. The Dragon Orchid will spend most of its life as a seed, around sixty years. The next fifty years of its life will be itself preparing for blooming, and eventually producing seeds. The last remainder of its life is spent planting its seeds. Combat Intelligence History Category:Article Category:Zeyr Category:Plant Category:Creature